What would you do?

[2ndTimesACharm]

So my dilemna is this - I applied to med school last cycle, got an interview at U of T (rejected), rejected pre-interview at Queen's and Ottawa. My cGPA is mediocre - around 3.77-3.78. My MCAT is 11/13/11 O. I have an MSc. My O in writing kills me at Western/Queen's, so I'm debating re-writing the MCAT, but I am worried about doing worse than 13 in the Verbal. Verbal seems to be a pretty big portion of the app this year for Mac, so I'm half thinking that I may be better off sticking with the 13, and taking a shot at Mac/U of T. Mac takes most your most recent MCAT, so if I don't do as well, I doubt I have much of a shot at Mac.

 

Thoughts/Comments/Suggestions on what I should do would be greatly appreciated.

[HBP]

So it's basically Mac vs Western/Queens?

 

If you rewrite, do you think you'll drop below 11? Do you feel you got lucky hitting your 13? Or were you consistently aroudn that mark? Even if you drop, 10-12 should be pretty competitive with your GPA (why didn't you apply to Mac last year?)

 

If you don't rewrite, no shot at Western/Queens, what makes you think you'll do better with a UofT interview this time around?

 

Personally, I would rewrite. If you get 11 or 12 in Verbal, it's not gonna kill your shots at Mac. The benefit outweighs the cost IMO (assuming you improve your WS!!!).

[Carefree]

I'd have to agree with HBP in this situation. Examine yourself and see how your practice scores are for VR going into your MCAT. If they have dropped significantly (8-9 range) then don't rewrite and take your shot at Mac. I doub't that will be the case if you hit 13 last time around. Despite the fact that VR is worth a lot at Mac, I wouldn't write off Western/Queens (two schools!) for a shot at Mac. You have to remember the interview selection at Mac is fairly subjective. You could have a 3.9+ GPA and 14 in VR, but if your answers to the five questions are weak, you won't even get an interview. After being granted an interview, there is still the MMI process, which many people may not excel in. By upgrading the MCAT score, you will be GUARANTEED two interviews in Western and Queens, because everyone over the cutoffs are interviewed.

[future_doc]

This is all conjecture, whatever you do, b/c its one big lottery where luck is the critical factor. I disagree with HBP and Carefree. If you think you can write smashing answers to those 5 Questions for Mac, I would go for Mac and UoT with every chance of an Interview at both; and only rewrite if you don't make it at either this cycle.

 

If we thoroughly confused you, follow your gut, we are all strangers just giving our opinion.

[somerandomrad]

This is all conjecture, whatever you do, b/c its one big lottery where luck is the critical factor.

 

LOL I agree with this. I would apply this year to Mac and UofT and other schools in Canada/US if possible just to keep your options open.

 

Rewriting wouldn't kill your chances at Mac or UofT I don't think, however if you haven't been studying it might be tough pull off a decent score before the deadline depending on your other committments.

[2ndTimesACharm]

Thanks for the responses. You guys sound like my internal monologue.

 

Alastriss - Mac looks at your most recent, so if I blow it on the MCAT, it would hurt. Otherwise I definitely would have rewritten.

 

I agree that I am not guaranteed an interview anywhere. Which brings up an important point I didn't mention before. At western I can't use my third year (I only took 4 credits), so my best two years end up being my 1st and 4th, where my 1st has a 3.74 gpa, i.e. below last years cutoff (4th year is fine). So I would be relying on Western's cutoff to drop back to what it was in previous years to have a shot there.

 

I have not been prepping so far this year, I am hoping some of last year's studying is still buried in my head somehwere.

 

I do feel like I could put up an 11 or higher on verbal again. I was lucky enough to not have to do much prep for verbal last year.

 

As for MMI vs Panel - I've never done an MMI before, so cannot comment on how I would be. I did a panel at u of t in feb, but didn't get in, so it would seem I didn't do that well (That said - and an interesting aside - I know a second year U of T med student who interviewed applicants last year, and she gave one of her interviewees a perfect score (seriously), and that person still did not get in. The interviewer was shocked. So makes one wonder how important the interview is at U of T).

[ipood]

Okay, I understand that nothing is ever officially guaranteed. However, if you meet UWO and Queen's cutoffs, and meet the rest of their criteria (prereqs, credits, courseload), you will get an interview.

 

Your cGPA will definitely meet Queen's cGPA cutoff.

 

For UWO, the cutoff this past year was 3.75 in each of your best two years. This value has been 3.7 for at least the preceding 2 years. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

 

So I think it's a good idea to re-write. If you do well, you blow open two huge doors for yourself.

 

Having said that, rewriting the MCAT is a tough decision. Have you been studying for it this summer? If so, rewriting now is an option. If not, wait and do it right the next time around, and still apply to UWO and Queen's.

 

If you meet the GPA requirements, and some other technicalities, a good MCAT score guarantees two interviews.

 

Hope this helps, and best of luck to you.

 

ipood

 

Edit:

Sorry, didn't see that last post

[ipood]

When considering admission, you're right. I was thinking more along the lines of getting interviews, because that's where the MCAT score is relevant. My understanding is that although the MCAT is still considered after the interviews (at UWO and Mac anyway) the interview score is the largest variable among candidates.

 

Of course we know nothing about Queen's because the adcom there consists of feces throwing monkeys!

 

Source:

 

http://www.premed101.com/forums/showpost.php?p=332341&postcount=10